The essence and results of the Stolypin reform in the agrarian sphere

By the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian Empire was lagging behind its Western competitors in its technical, economic and social development. The so-called "catch-up" modernization, which began in the middle of the 19th century, did not help to close this gap. The large-scale reforms of the 1860s and 70s did not bring the desired results. The state simply needed new Transformations that would transform the economy and social development into a capitalist mode.

The beginning of reform

Such an attempt was the complex of reforms of the head of the government Pyotr Arkadievich Stolypin. First of all, it concerned transformations in the agrarian sphere. It was expected that the results of Stolypin's reform would give a powerful impetus to the development of all significant spheres in the country. Their main plan was to create a powerful stratum of well-off, independent and enterprising peasants, which would revitalize commodity relations and turn Russia into an even more important exporter of agricultural products. The final results of Stolypin's reform were seen as its inspiration for the emergence of a class of strong business executives, similar to American farmers. For these purposes, the state The credit bank under the decree of the government launched a massive campaign to give loans to peasants to buy land. At the same time, the non-return of the debt was severely punished - the confiscation of the purchased site. This, according to the plans of the reformers, was to spur a private initiative. The second important part of the agrarian reform was the program of land development in Siberia. Plots in this region were distributed and completely free of charge to those who wish to use the peasants. And the government in every possible way encouraged and facilitated the relocation of peasant families beyond the Urals. For these purposes, special compounds were created, known later as "Stolypin wagons". In addition, in Siberia in this period, the infrastructure is actively created.

Results of the agrarian reform of Stolypin

The plans, no doubt, significant in Russian history, the policy was never brought to its logical conclusion. Their implementation was first interrupted by his death in 1911, and later finally postponed due to the continental War. Thus, it can hardly be said that the results of Stolypin's reforms were any sufficient. However, a number of trends in the period of their holding still emerging, so you can sum up some results.

Positive results of the Stolypin reform in the agrarian sphere

The result of government action was that from the peasant community there were 10% to 20% of the population. The latter began independent management. In the next few years, successful peasants began to give up to half of all the bread that appeared on the market. Some plans were made to develop Siberia, as more than 3 million farms moved there during the reform. As a result, new regions were involved in commodity-market relations. The area of arable lands has significantly expanded in the country.

Negative results of the Stolypin reform

The stratification of an independent village led to the fact that along with the successful appeared the poor peasants. Even the households that left the community still maintained close relations with it. In this regard, the reform was half-hearted. It also did not have a tangible impact on the technological development of agriculture. By 1911, the main tool of the Russian peasant was still the archaic plow.